Current trends in education show that there are movements towards embracing inclusion of students with differences into general education classrooms, rather than placement into special classrooms. In order to meet the legal requirements of IDEA pertaining to the education of children with disabilities, and, more importantly, being prepared and able to meet the unique needs of these students, teachers must know and understand the law, have understanding about learning differences, and have a plan in place to meet the need of every student to the best of their ability.

To explore the legal requirements that come into play when teaching a classroom that includes students with special needs, and to demonstrate a plan of action, we will use the following scenario. Suppose you are the teacher of an inclusion classroom made up of eighteen students with no diagnosed learning disabilities, two students with learning disabilities, one student who has deficits in writing and reading skills, one who has deficits in math, one student who has an emotional-behavioral disability, one with blindness, two students with ADHD, and one student with Cerebral Palsy.

First, let us take a look at the current legal requirements that may affect the classroom strategy. There was a time in our country’s history that children with learning, physical or intellectual disabilities were viewed in demeaning ways and undervalued by the educational system. However, education was defined as a right and not a privilege by the Supreme Court in the landmark case of Brown v. Topeka, Kansas, Board of Education in 1954. This came as a result of the heart cries of parents who saw the injustice of the, then, education system. It was also on the heels of the civil rights movement of the day. In 1975, the U.S. Congress assembled various pieces of state and federal legislation into one comprehensive national law called, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. This law made a free public education available to nearly four million school-age children with disabilities. In 1986, this same law was amended to make a free and appropriate public education available to preschool-age students. Later in 1990, Congress renamed The Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This name change reflected a new way of thinking about the person first and their disability second; it is referred to as people first language. IDEA required that all children be granted the right to free public education, regardless of their disability, in what is referred to as the zero-exclusion principle. IDEA also mandated that all services needed for a student with special needs to benefit from their educational experience be provided at no charge to the parent. This would included services like transportation, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, social work services, and more (Hardman, M.L., Clifford, D.J., & Egan, M. W., 2008). Before a student can receive these services, however, they must meet two requirements. First, they must be identified as having one of the disability conditions cited in federal law, or a corresponding condition cited in state special education law. These would include intellectual disabilities, hearing impairments, speech and language impairments, visual impairments, serious emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairments, autism, traumatic brain injury, multiple disabilities, other health impairments, or specific learning disabilities (Hardman, M.L. et. al, 2008). Secondly, they must be evaluated by a team of professionals and parents to determine the need of special services. IDEA further mandates that evaluations must be multidisciplinary and that parents have a right to be involved in the process. Usually, if a child meets both criteria, and...

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Inclusion: Educating the Exceptional Child
History of Education
Shanona Merrell
February 19, 2010
The inclusion classroom is a classroom that has a mixture of students with and without disabilities. I selected this topic because I was an inclusion teacher at the local head start. I am writing about this because while I was a teacher I learned that the students learn how to help one another and the non disabledstudents learn a lot about the disabled students. They learn how to assist the disabled student with things such as completing, washing their hands, and playing on the playground equipment. I want to in my paper show how the inclusion class can benefit both the disabled and the none disabled students. I also want to prove that Even though inclusion classrooms can be challenging for the teacher, teachers should treat the students just like the regular students, because they have rights by law not to be discriminated against and inclusion will help their social development.
It takes a lot of time and patience to teach a child that has a disability. I am going to be a teacher once I get my degree and I want know as much as I can about the inclusion classroom. I have taught in one before, but I feel that every teacher should have this experience, because law says that the...

...less handicapping if she learns to tape lectures and "read" books on audiotapes. Using such approaches, even in elementary school, can prevent her reading disability from interfering with her progress in other academic areas (increasing her handicap).
Gale Encyclopedia of Education:
History of Special Education
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Special education, as its name suggests, is a specialized branch of education. Claiming lineage to such persons as Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775 - 1838), the physician who "tamed" the "wild boy of Aveyron," and Anne Sullivan Macy (1866 - 1936), the teacher who "worked miracles" with Helen Keller, special educators teach those students who have physical, cognitive, language, learning, sensory, and/or emotional abilities that deviate from those of the general population. Special educators provide instruction specifically tailored to meet individualized needs, making education available to students who otherwise would have limited access to education. In 2001, special education in the United States was serving over five million students.
Although federally mandated special education is relatively new in the United States, students with disabilities have been present in every era and in every society. Historical...

...Kim Dieter
December 5, 2012
Foundations of Education
Mainstreaming Learning Disabled Students
In an ideal world all children would be born without disabilities. This idea is not possible though and sometimes children are born with special needs. The child could have only one disability or several. A disability can be mild and treated with medication or the disability can be severe and the child will need constant supervision. Once the child becomes of age to attend school, the issue of whether or not to place the child in a regular classroom or special needs classroom arises. This is when mainstreaming comes into place.
A wide range of research has been done on effects of mainstreaming on learning disabled children. The term “mainstreaming” has been used to describe the transition of special needs children into the regular classroom (Brown, 1997).
Mainstreaming or inclusion in general is the practice of educating children with disabilities in a regular classroom alongside non-disabled students. Making them part of the students everyday life in the classroom (Allen, 2005). Children that are mainstreamed are not kept isolated from there typical developing peers. Mainstreaming takes place in the regular classroom throughout the day depending on the skills of the child and how much they can handle at one point. What this is saying is that the student will receive any special education...

...childhood/adolescence due to various events, including:
 traumatic brain injury – TBI (e.g., head strikes an object)
 illness (e.g., seizures, degenerative disorders, infections such as meningitis, …)
 exposure to toxins, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)
Brain injuries can significantly affect many cognitive and physical skills. Physical deficits can include ambulation, balance, coordination, fine motor skills, strength, and endurance. Deficits of language and communication, affect, information processing, executive functioning (judgement, planning, decision making, insight …), and perceptual skills are common. Issues regarding adjustment to disability are frequently encountered by people with brain injury.
Services
Students diagnosed with a brain injury by a medical professional may require a range of school based services depending on programming need and level of functioning. A comprehensive assessment is required to inform program planning. Programming decisions are made by the student’s program planning team and may include accommodations, modified or alternate programs and courses.
Caution must be exercised with curricular alterations (modified or alternate courses) since these changes may negatively impact graduation and post-secondary options.
Cognitive Disorder
Definition
The American Psychiatric Association definition of mental retardation, as published in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders...

...Philosophy of Mainstream-Inclusion Education
Special Education: Exceptional Children in the Classroom
Mainstreaming- Inclusion
Mariella Vasconcelos
EEX 3010
Special Education: Exceptional Children in the Classroom
Philosophy of Mainstreaming- Inclusion Education
Abstract
Instructional practice designed to be effective in the mainstream-inclusion classroom environment must be one that is readily adaptable yet one that is sensible in its’ application in this unique and exceptional classroom setting. Although there are complications and difficulties inherent in teaching in this environment the ultimate rewards, as well as the daily ones are motivational and inspirational to the educator who strives toward excellent instructional provision. The philosophy of the educator in this type of classroom must be able to ‘tuck and roll’ if you will as they must be able to think on their feet and adapt quickly and often to the needs of the individual student. This work takes a close look at instructional and behavioral strategies, including a personal opinion on collaborative and consultative teaching and a few varying philosophies and what critics of the mainstream-inclusion environment have stated.
Special Education: Exceptional Children in the Classroom
Philosophy of Mainstreaming- Inclusion Education...

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Students with Disabilities
MAE506 – Law and Ethics in Education
Dr. Anna Lint
December 23, 2013
The students were entitled to receive all the benefits of a normal student however the teacher played a big part in this role. With the numbers of students regular education teachers have and the demands made upon them, which they are not able to adapt their presentation of subject matter nor able to devote the time needed to a particular student or group of students. So with that being said, sometimes it is only so much a person can do without crossing any lines. The children are entitled to public assistance and even federal funding.
FAPE must meet a student’s unique educational needs including: Mastery of academic subjects & basic skills; social, health, emotional, physical, & vocational needs & functional & self-help skills. The student has the right to assistive technology, non-academic services (counseling, athletics, transportation, health services, recreation, etc., physical education, residential placement, proper functioning of hearing aids, extended school year and transition services.
IDEA is directed primarily at the states, which are responsible for providing education to their citizens. The majority of the many rules and regulations defining how IDEA operates fall...

...Special Education
Carolyn Gantt
Grand Canyon University: EDA 555
February 12, 2014
Case Study: Student with Special Needs
All students have a right to education and safety at the expense of the school that he/she attends, including students with special need that requires special situation with no additional cost. Having such a diverse student body, an administrator would need to have an understanding of the legal ramification that is included in disciplining and accommodating special educationstudents academically. All students have a right to be educated and in education there is a needed to become cautious that a special educational student can be expelled and/or suspended for being offenders of the school disciplinary code of conduct, like all other students. Also, staff and administration must become aware of the procedures of the IDEA in discipline students of special needs. This paper will discuss the disciplining of a special educationstudents and if the disciplinary action taken to discipline a students was appropriated according to the special education laws.
Student of special needs has multiple office encounters that surface into referrals due to unacceptable behavior in the instructional...